Scientists want to put a super laser on the moon 17. February 2026 (19:00) An ultrastable laser could enable extremely precise timing and navigation on the moon, and the cold, dark craters near the lunar poles would be the ideal location for it(New Scientist)
Giant viruses may be more alive than we thought 17. February 2026 (17:00) A giant virus encodes part of the protein-making toolkit of cells that gives it greater control over its amoeba host, raising questions about how it evolved and how such beings relate to living organisms(New Scientist)
Dream hacking helps people solve complex problems in their sleep 17. February 2026 (11:39) Hearing a sound while working on a complex puzzle, and then hearing it again during sleep, helped lucid dreamers better tackle the problem the next day(New Scientist)
The mystery of nuclear 'magic numbers' has finally been resolved 16. February 2026 (19:00) A mathematical equivalent of a microscope with variable resolution has shed light on why some atoms are exceptionally stable, a riddle that has persisted in nuclear physics for decades(New Scientist)
Psychedelic reduces depression symptoms after just one dose 16. February 2026 (17:00) The psychedelic DMT has been linked to improved mental health outcomes before, but now, scientists have shown it reduces depression symptoms more than a placebo when given alongside therapeutic support(New Scientist)
We’ve glimpsed before the big bang and it’s not what we expected 16. February 2026 (17:00) The big bang wasn’t the start of everything, but it has been impossible to see what came before. Now a new kind of cosmology is lifting the veil on the beginning of time(New Scientist)
Humans are the only primates with a chin – now we finally know why 16. February 2026 (13:00) Biologists have debated the reason why Homo sapiens evolved a prominent lower jaw, but this unique feature may actually be a by-product of other traits shaped by natural selection(New Scientist)
Backwards heat shows laws of thermodynamics may need a quantum update 16. February 2026 (11:00) We are used to heat flowing from hot objects to cool ones, and never the other way round, but now researchers have found it is possible to pull off this trick in the strange realm of quantum mechanics(New Scientist)
Can we ever know the shape of the universe? 16. February 2026 (09:00) The shape of the cosmos depends on a balance of two competing forces: the pull of gravity and the expansion driven by dark energy. Columnist Leah Crane explores what observations tell us about how much universe is out there and whether it’s shaped like a sheet, a saddle or something else entirely(New Scientist)
